Blog – Keeping Truth Simple

In my last post I said Elijah cried out to the Lord for miracles, while Jesus just commanded.

But a passage in James 5 stands in clear contrast to the rest of the New Testament. Since it’s all the word of God, it’s all true. Apparent contradictions conceal deeper truths. What’s going on?

Here’s James 5:13-18

 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

This seems clear enough! However, in the rest of the New Testament, neither Jesus nor the disciples prayed for the sick. Jesus rebuked a fever; told the paralytic to pick up his mat; commanded Lazarus to come out. Peter told Aeneas to get up; Paul commanded a cripple to stand. They didn’t pray.

In the Old Testament, people DID pray for healing. Moses interceded for his sister Miriam’s leprosy. Elijah cried to the Lord for the widow’s dead son (see my last post.) That all changed.

Jesus launches the kingdom of God

Jesus preached it, lived it, demonstrated it, and then transferred it to us. He gave us the same Holy Spirit (John 20:22) and the keys (authority) of the kingdom (Matthew 16:19). The rules are different: under the old covenant, the promises came through obedience; under the new—by faith. We get what we believe.

James uses the example of Elijah because he believed, but Elijah didn’t have our kingdom privileges.

Are you righteous?

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. That seems to disqualify me! But righteousness isn’t what we DO. It’s what we HAVE. It’s a gift from God, received by faith. Jesus became sin to give us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we believe that, we are righteous. Therefore our prayers are powerful!

So what is this prayer offered by faith? It isn’t intercession! Stay with me.

Fig Tree Faith

Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24). Note the three tenses—ask is present; have received is past; will be yours is future.

If we ask with faith, it’s a done deal in heaven. The answer is on its way. This seems to mean intercession, but does it?

Jesus had just cursed the fig tree. It died overnight, and the disciples were astonished. “Rabbi, look!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” (Mark 11:22-23).

These are the key verses, which verse 24 is referring to.

1. Our faith is in God, not what we say, or pray. It must be his will. We trust him to carry it out. We cannot.
2. We say it TO the mountain, not pray it ABOUT the mountain.
3. Go, throw yourself is a command, using kingdom authority.
4. Does not doubt—no ifs or buts.
5. Believes—not hopes. Hope knows God can. Faith knows he will.

Therefore the prayer offered in faith is a command. Of course, intercession isn’t wrong! But in the context of ministry such as James 5, we rebuke fevers, command demons to leave, forgive sins, and raise the sick person with kingdom authority.

(for more, see my books Authority, and Who’s in Charge Around Here?)

The widow of Zarephath’s son had died.

“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He (1) took him from her arms, (2) carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and (3) laid him on his bed.
 Then he (4) cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”
 Then he (5) stretched himself out on the boy three times and (6) cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived (1 Kings 17:19-22).

Jairus’s daughter had died.

[Jesus] went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around. (Mark 5:40-42)

Israel needed rain.

Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea” . . . the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, [and] a heavy rain came on. 1 Kings 18:42-45

A storm swamped the disciples’ boat.

 [Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39

Elijah had to pray eight times for the rain to come. Jesus just said, “Quiet! Be still!” Three times Elijah stretched himself on the dead boy, twice pleading with the Lord. Jesus just said, “Get up!”

Jesus demonstrates kingdom authority

Jesus didn’t plead with the Lord. He didn’t bow down. He didn’t even pray. He just commanded, and the world obeyed.

Then he passed that kingdom authority to us: I have given you authority . . . to overcome all the power of the enemy. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (see Luke 10:19; Matthew 28:18-20).

Who do you follow? Do you copy Jesus? Or Elijah?

Then what is the prayer of faith in James 5? See my next blog.

Jesus came to show us the Father. He preached the gospel, cast out demons, raised the dead, and healed the sick.

He also said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). Am I a disciple? Then shouldn’t I do what Jesus did, and not what he didn’t?

What Jesus didn’t do

* He never asked the Father to heal.

* He never used angels.

* He never set conditions: “If you do this first, I’ll heal you.” He sometimes brought correction AFTER healing (see John 5:14).

* He never said any sickness, person, or situation was too hard.

* He never said healing wasn’t the Father’s will.

He healed all who came or were brought to Him: tax-collectors, sinners, hypocrites, Pharisees, idolaters, unbelievers, doubters, you and me!

What he did

1)   He laid hands on people: “When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them” (Luke 4:40). This is the simplest method, and He used it even when faith levels were low.

2)   He commanded: He spoke to the sickness, demons, ears, eyes, sick person—the “mountains.” He didn’t pray about them but used His authority. We should do the same and expect the same results. Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”  At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked (John 5:8-9).

3)   He spoke a word: Jesus said to the royal official (John 4:49), “You may go. Your son will live.” The fever left at that moment. Peter said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34).

4)   He used faith triggers: He spat, made mud, put His fingers in ears, sent ten lepers to the priests, and told the man born blind to wash in the pool of Siloam. Obedience releases faith. (If the Lord prompts you to do something unusual, ask permission!)

5)   He used words of knowledge: A father brought his epileptic son to Jesus. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again” (Mark 9:25). Only the Holy Spirit could have shown Jesus the root cause of the problem.

6)   He persevered: In Bethsaida, people brought a blind man to Jesus (Mark 8:22-26.) He led him out of the village, spat on his eyes, laid hands on him, and asked if he could see. He could see a little. Jesus laid hands again!  We are often guilty of expecting instant results. Healing is a process.

7)   He leaked! The people all tried to touch him because power was coming from Him and healing them all (Luke 6:19). People have been healed walking into our meetings. We are filled with the same Holy Spirit as Jesus!

Which method to use?

Use the one prompted by the Holy Spirit or try the order above. You will need faith, but God wants all people well, and he wants you to minister his healing. Go for it!